HumiBlog.com

I ran across a board topic recently asking what everyone’s favorite cigar drink was. I was pretty surprised that though many mentioned port or whisky, no one actually mentioned cognac. Now if you’ve been reading this blog for a while, you will have noticed how much I love single malt Scotch whisky. I equally appreciate fine port from my neighboring country to the west as well as the fortified Spanish sherry. All that said, I still have to admit that for me cognac holds a very special place, and so much so that I’m very good at picking out my favorites in blind tastes.

Not too long ago, Pierre Ferrand, a world renowned producer of fine “Grande Champagne” cognacs, introduced a special edition, particularly conceived to complement a superior cigar. Ferrand, an avid cigar aficionado himself said of his “R�serve des Dieux”, that he wanted a cognac that was in balance with a structured cigar. He wanted to match the structure and complexity of Grande Champagne cognac with that of today’s best smokes.

Well, I’ve got to tell you that they succeeded. This exquisite libation has a licorice and cedar nose that is also reminiscent of Assam tea. The palate is round with notes of vanilla, leather, spices and yes, tobacco. Woody notes laced with leather appropriately dominate the finish.

I can’t say enough good things about this 25 year old “R�serve des Dieux”, and for $70 dollars a bottle it’s a cigar companion that is well within reach. Highly recommended.

Here’s a full-bodied single malt for that full-bodied Cuban or Nicaraguan cigar. The Oban 14 Year is a “West Highland Malt” and a real classic in its own right. Both on the nose and the palate it comes across as a marriage of the sweet Island character and the soft and fruity Highlands.

It has recognizable Cognac notes on the nose, which I found interesting. There was also some sulfur and peat. A certain rubbery note was also lingered toward the end with a distinct impression of sweetness. The palate is rich and rewarding. It’s smooth, velvety with a texture that coats the alcohol perfectly. Look for sweet notes to start with, yielding to more bitter peat notes and a mild smoke finish.

I found this beauty elegant, fine, and satisfyingly rich. My Serie D No.4’s accompanied this to perfection… a fine moment.

I was on the way to our hotel in the province of Navarra when, lo and behold, I found myself driving right past a local winery near the town of Puente La Reina. Well, you know that immediately my daily goals shifted and I knew I had to come back to that spot for a tour the winery and a case of their selections; and that is something I highly recommend anytime. There’s nothing like going to a winery and obtaining their finest wine(s) directly. That’s surely one wish I have still to fulfill in California’s Napa Valley, but that I hope to get the chance to do soon.

This time, I went for the Tempranillo variety. I’d have a really hard time telling you what that is equivalent to in English, but this I know: It’s considered the backbone of the Spanish industry and a wonderful variety to add a rich fruity, herbal, and somewhat leathery character to any blend. It is the grape’s tendency to produce a rich wine with relatively low acidity and exceptionally low tannins which, for me, make for great easy drinking young wines. When wines containing the Tempranillo variety are aged, the result is a more earthy and leathery smooth, velvety character.

So, along with a case of their finest wine for aging, I also picked up some Tempranillo single bottles; and today’s libation is just that. Aged in American Oak, the nose of this young wine is delightfully subtle and woody at first, with notes of extra ripe berries. The palate is just as fruity and smooth, with understated elegance and finesse. It’s body holds up very well and manages to retain a roundness that is normally associated with older wines. Try it with a short, lighter bodied Cuban cigar like the my Romeo y Julieta Exhibition No3.

This week’s fine spirit comes in the form of the Glenkinchie 10 Year Lowland Scotch whisky. My first impression is that it has a personality of its own. From its hue all the way to the finish, the single malt is just not exactly a conforming lowland malt.

The hue is golden, but with a certain dark translucency that makes me think of ash. On the nose, there are slightly sweet notes that are very malty indeed. I would say that is the predominant characteristic of the nose. Yet, it also has a certain floral attitude. It is very delicate and almost gives an impression of a thin spirit to be revealed.

On the palate, the notes are very evenly balanced. It starts out slightly bitter, like citrus zest, but with substantial sweetness as well. The malt is mingled with spices, like cinnamon and nutmeg. There is also some dryness but not as in the finish, which is of faint smoke with a good dose of dry spices.

Overall, it is an easy drinking scotch and both an elegant and pleasant experience.

This little blurb comes straight from the table of a tiny restaurant in the middle of nowhere; well, somewhere in the Pyrenees. What else could I order with this typical local meal? I had to go with a locally produced wine, and this 1999 Madiran Vignes Vieilles was just the thing.

The robe on the wine is dark and present. I expect a wine with body, not a Beaujolais… more like a good Bourgogne. The nose has a woody and spicy character that goes extremely well with the fruit. It was certainly corpulent and tannic but yet ready to drink; though it can surely sit still a few years.

Rich plums come to mind on the palate. Ripe red fruit is present as well and a woody undertone that made me dream of the cigar I would have right after dinner; and may I add that for the first time I finished an excellent French dinner and wine with an equally worthy French cigar. Concerning the cigar, though, that’s another story entirely.